Toss those potato peelers...

A friend forwarded this little bit of magic to me so I thought I'd BLOG it since my poor blog has been neglected for so long...Hope you find this as helpful and instructive as I did.

Pantoum-ming Again

The pantoum-style poem seems to suit me fine...I will eventually want to move on but today will share another pantoum I wrote in response to a workshop assignment.

Each of us thought of  five words that have weight to us. One of mine was "process."  Each participant thought of the first word that came to mind when they heard "process" and I wrote each of their words down. This gave me the following word list, which we were challenged to use in a poem. It's a great exercise and I was fairly pleased with the result. 

Poem extracted from the following word list:   Process, design, progress, mind, journey, maze, time

Too Slow

by Susie Talbot

She tried to pry open a rosebud

To make a flower sooner

Because it takes too much time

Wanted to see the flower

To make a flower sooner

She forced the rosebud’s progress

Wanted to see the flower

The opening process too slow

She forced the rosebud’s progress

To see its lacy design

The opening process too slow

Wanted to rush its journey

To see its lacy design

With more than her mind

Wanted to rush its journey

Tore through its maze of petals

With more than her mind

Because it takes too much time

Tore through its maze of petals

She tried to pry open a rosebud

Okay now.  The next challenge was to turn this poem into free verse rather than a pantoum with the repeating lines.  So this is the result of that.

Free Verse:

Too Slow

by Susie Talbot

She tried to pry open a rosebud

To make a flower sooner

Because it takes too much time
The opening process too slow

Wanted to see the flower

She forced the rosebud’s progress

To see its lacy design

With more than her mind

Wanted to rush its journey

Tore through its maze of petals

She tried to pry open a rosebud

Which one do you like best--the first or the second version?  Thanks for your input.

Where Have I Been?

Where haven't I been is the answer...5 week trek to Australia nearly ruined this blog!  We had a great time, then Christmas came with our wonderful children and their children...amazing families, and then, and then, and then. So now it's January 16 (I know that because it's on the bottom left-hand corner of my screen).

I have continued to write, and have since been to a poetry workshop where we were taught different forms of poetry. I learned the Pantoum and P and I are good buddies now. Its form repeats lines and seems to work well for me. (Those of you who know me, know how adept I am at repeating myself.)

I've written several pantoums, but am ready to share "Poem Whittler" with you. Hoping you enjoy it and, if it interests you poets out there, pick up the Pantoum pattern and send me one of your poems.

Pantoum

Poem Whittler

by Susie Talbot

I must say I love, as a poet

When lively rainbow thoughts

Tumble out of a rubble of words

Onto a page, exposing their wily truths

When lively rainbow thoughts

Flow from a willing pen

Onto a page, exposing their wily truths

A thing called a poem is born

Flow from a willing pen

The poet holds in her hand

A thing called a poem is born

And creation repeats its song

The poet holds in her hand

A mighty and precious gift

And creation repeats its song

From Creator to poet to you

A mighty and precious gift

Tumbles out of a rubble of words

From Creator to poet to you

I must say I love, as a poet

A Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Prayer and Praise

Beloved Redeemer

by Susan Talbot

Beloved Redeemer I’m asking You to

reshape me and mold me to be more like You.

My heart needs repairing, it’s ripped and it’s pained.

My mind needs renewing; this world is insane.

Too often I fail You, forgive me again.

My sin overtakes me around every bend.

Your kindness and gentleness draw me back in.

I’m loved by Christ Jesus - He died for my sin.

My Father’s provision supplies every need

to overcome sinning like lust and like greed.

I fall down on my knees in this physical state.

Until life is over I’ll patiently wait,

for heaven to graciously welcome me in.

That day I’ll rejoice, no more struggles with sin.

His grace is magnificent, eraser of hate,

in mansions above we will all celebrate. 

This weekend we lost one of our Mission Royale friends to a car accident. I dedicate this poem to Dave's memory, to his widow who remains in critical condition, and to the other couple with them

who are also recovering from injuries and the pain of loss. We are so saddened by this news.

Who is Flavia?

 Flavia said:

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."

Today I saw this on a poster, also by Flavia.

"It's difficult to hold on sometimes, 

but someday beyond our 

tears and all the world's wrongs, 

beyond the clouds

and all we can see and touch, 

there will be love,

compassion, and justice and we will all 

understand."  

Anyone reading this know anything about "Flavia?"  I looked the name up online and found several references to a Flavia coffee brand, but not much about a writer...Please let me know if you do. Thanks!

Grandbaby Number Six, but who's counting!

Meet our newest grandbaby and second grandaughter!
AP was born Sept. 10 in Alabama 

(one day before we could get there), but we saw her when she was only one day old until she 

was 10 days old, so that was okee dokie. 

Mom, Dad, little brother, and baby are doing super. AP was 6 lbs 3 oz and has surpassed that already at the ripe old age of 13 days today. Notice those cute forehead wrinkles and bright eyes!

 Brother J is very pleased with his new sister. So far so good. He hasn't picked her up by her feet yet, but he has loved on those cute little feet. He's been very interested in AP and so far calls her "beabee". It sounds kind of like "baby" with a southern drawl (to me).

We were all very excited and some of us were just plain worn out after a day or so.
Being a big brother is exhausting!

Sleeping most of the day and playing at night is kind of fun though. Grampy are you sleeping too?

I guess you earned a little shut eye.

What a wonderful ten days we had grandparenting in Alabama. We love you dear little family, and thank God over and over for each of you. Thanks also to all of our wonderful extended family for their generous hospitality and kindnesses to us while we were visiting. We are truly blessed!

What is your Favorite?

When people ask me "What's your favorite ______, (i.e. color, food, place, etc)?" I try to come up with the one and only answer that will truly reflect a discerning mind, offer an accurate picture of the fabulous person I am, and of course be a wise and creative choice. Because of all of the above expectations, a barrage of answers flood my poor anxious brain at once, I choke, and just throw out one of my many many favorites. It happens I like a lot of colors best, chocolate and coffee run a pretty close race for food/drink, and so on.

Today I realized a truly legitimate "favorite" of mine that's stood the test of time in my life as a believer. I'm sharing it with you today not to sound wise, convince you I have a discerning mind, or even show off what a fabulous person I am, but instead to encourage you in the JOY that comes from being QUIET before the Lord in prayer and meditation, which is not natural for me (okay that's enough snickering under your breath thank you), but the effort is well worth it. To just step off the perpetual treadmill now and then.
This morning I found a portion of scripture in Lamentations that I believe shows us it may be one of God's "favorites" too.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear 
The yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him."
        Lamentations 3:25-28

Wow, doesn't that go down like a nice morsel of dark chocolate?  Jeremiah uses the word
GOOD three times in this short passage. He uses WAIT twice.
"Wait for Him...seek Him...hope and wait quietly...sit alone and keep silent."
Please take out time today to wait, to listen, to be quiet before Him.. It is SO good!!!